Ministry of Justice

Sexual Offences: Prosecutions

Lord Dobbs: To ask His Majesty's Government, in each of the past five years in England and Wales, how many prosecutionswere brought for rape and serious sexual assault; how many allegations of rape or serious sexual assault reported to police have not been taken to prosecution; and what percentage of prosecutions have resulted in conviction.

Lord Bellamy: This government is committed to increasing the volumes of rape and serious sexual offence cases that reach court. In 2019, we commissioned our end-to-end Rape Review to better understand the justice system’s response to adult rape. Published in 2021, our watershed report set stretching ambitions to return the volumes of adult rape cases being referred by the police, charged by the CPS, and reaching court back to 2016 levels by the end of this Parliament. In practice, this meant more than doubling the number of adult rape cases reaching court compared to when the Review was first commissioned, in 2019. The latest data shows that we have exceeded each of these ambitions ahead of schedule. In July – September 2023, we recorded:1,470 total police referrals, exceeding our 2016 ambition of 766 by 91% and now more than triple (+219%) the 2019 quarterly average.668 CPS charges, exceeding our ambition of 538 by 24% and now more than double (+174%) the 2019 quarterly average.665 Crown Court receipts, exceeding our ambition of 553 by 20% and now more than double (+188%) the 2019 quarterly average.In addition, the number of people prosecuted for an adult rape offence went up by 54% in the last year (12 months to June), rising from 1,410 to 2,165. This is 32% higher than in 2010 (1,644). But we are determined to build on these successes, and continue to make excellent progress in delivering our Rape Review Action Plan to support victims throughout the criminal justice system:For one, it is right that rapists, and those convicted of the most serious sexual offences, remain in prison for the whole of their custodial term and that they are subject to proper supervision in the community on their release with a suitable license period. We will legislate through our Sentencing Bill to make sure that this happens.Through Operation Soteria, we are ensuring that every police force and CPS area embeds new, transformative National Operating Models that will radically improve the way the police investigate and the CPS prosecute adult rape. The five forces who first adopted Soteria have all seen charges increase.Having recruited 20,000 extra police officers, bringing the total number to a record peak, by April 2024 2,000 officers will receive specialist training on rape and sexual offences, making sure the police have the skills and capability to investigate these crimes.We continue to offer our 24/7 support line for victims of rape and sexual violence, ensuring victims of these abhorrent crimes always have someone on hand to support them.We are quadrupling victims funding by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10, which will enable us to increase the number of Independent Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Advisors by 300 to over 1,000 – a 43% increase by 2024/5.As far as possible, we have provided the requested data in Tables 1-3. Please note that each table contains data extracted from different administrative systems, and for different operational purposes. Whilst every effort has been made to answer the question and keep the data similar it is important to note that the data presented is complementary, rather than directly comparable. Below is a summary of each table and its contents, including a final Annex table (Table A1) which specifies how offences for rape and serious sexual assault have been captured. Table 1 – Volume of defendants proceeded against for rape or ‘serious’ sexual assault offences, year ending June 2019 to year ending June 2023, England and WalesThe Ministry of Justice (MoJ) publish the data set out in Table 1 in Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2023, in the Outcomes by Offence data tool (last updated 18 January 2024).The MoJ tool contains data on the volume of convictions, but it is advised these are not used to calculate conviction rate (the number of convictions as a proportion of the number of prosecutions). This is due to the Court Proceedings Database counting two separate records at two separate stages (one for prosecution, one for conviction). An individual may appear at each court in separate years, or for a different principal offence at different stages. As a result, this rate is not an accurate measure of the proportion of prosecutions that result in a conviction and we recommend table 3 for that purpose. Table 2 – Rape and ‘serious’ sexual offences (RASSO) recorded by the police that were not assigned a charge outcome, as a proportion of all RASSO cases closed each year, year ending June 2019 to year ending June 2023, England and WalesThe Home Office (HO) publish the data set out in Table 2 in the quarterly publication Open Data Tables, in the Outcomes Open Data files (last updated on 25 January 2024). It is important to note that the Home Office do not hold data on prosecutions, but publish data on recorded cases that do not receive a charge outcome, presented in Table 2. Table 2b – Number of reported incidents of rape (excluding offences recorded by the police) and cancelled rape offences, year ending March 2019 to year ending March 2023, England and WalesSince April 2015, the police have been expected to record all allegations of rape that are reported to them as soon as they are received, unless they are immediately recorded as a confirmed crime. These are recorded under the reported incidents classification. Reported incidents of rape are then either confirmed as a crime and re-classified accordingly (as recorded offences) or are retained in the police data as an incident. Table 2b shows a total of reported incidents that do not go on to be recorded as a crime, and cancelled rape offences. An incident does not go on to be recorded as a crime if the victim or third party reporting the incident cannot confirm it or cannot be traced, if credible evidence to the contrary exists, or if it is transferred to another police force. These data are published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/652eaab16b6fbf000db75843/prc-rape-incidents-2016-2023.ods). Rape allegations are ‘cancelled’ when there is additional information to confirm the offence did not take place or where the entry is made in error (such as a duplicate of an existing allegation). Home Office can be contacted directly for further comment on these data. Table 3 – Conviction rate for suspects with a rape flagged offence, year ending June 2019 to year ending June 2023, England and WalesThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) publish the data set out in Table 3 in CPS quarterly data summaries (last updated on 18 January 2024). Prosecution crime type data tables were used to extract conviction rates for rape flagged cases. Due to the nature of CPS systems, the conviction rate based on rape flags will include cases where the eventual outcome is different to the flagged offence of rape. Table A1: Definition of rape and 'serious' sexual assault by organisation (MoJ, Home Office, Crown Prosecution Service)This table sets out how rape and ‘serious’ sexual assault offences have been selected for each of the tables. The most substantial difference is between CPS and MoJ/Home Office data, as the CPS rely on the use of flags and do not record offences by detailed offence code in the same way as the MoJ/Home Office (meaning detailed offences would need to be extracted manually, and are not published). Home Office and MoJ offences broadly correspond but, due to differences in recording practices and operational uses some of the offences follow different description conventions.HL2027_tables (xlsx, 34.3KB)

Employment: Prisoners' Release

Baroness Hamwee: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to raise awareness of the benefits to business of employing prison-leavers and to support businesses to do so.

Lord Bellamy: We remain committed in increasing the number of prison leavers securing employment on release. The proportion of prison leavers who were employed six months after release more than doubled in the two years to March 2023, from 14% to over 30%. Meanwhile, the proportion who were in employment six weeks after their release almost doubled in the same period, from 9.8% to 19.4%We know that supporting businesses and raising awareness around the benefits of employing prison leavers are integral in continuing this upward trend.New Futures Network is the prison service’s specialist employment team that supports businesses to fill skills gaps and prisoners to find employment on release. They use a dedicated website and social media pages to inform the public, including employers, about the opportunities to recruit from prisons. New Futures Network brokers three main types of partnership between prisons and employers:Prison industries and academies: Workspaces set up by businesses, staffed by prisoners.Release on Temporary Licence: Paid work placements in the community for risk-assessed serving prisoners.Employment on release: When employers offer opportunities to individuals following their release from prison.To increase awareness across sectors facing labour market shortages, in October 2022 New Futures Network began running a series of ‘Unlocking Potential’ recruitment drives in prisons. The most recent event in October 2023, Unlocking Hospitality, saw around 65 events held across 40 sites, attended by 40 employers and 885 prisoners. This resulted in 184 interviews and 45 job offers to date.We also know that employers want to hear from other employers when talking about the benefits of employing prison leavers. Employment Advisory Boards bring together experienced professionals across the private and third sectors and have been established across 93 prisons. Chaired by business leaders, these are a forum to collaborate with leadership teams within prisons, to support them in creating a positive culture of employment.Similarly, we continue to work with the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFFRR), an HMPPS-led group currently chaired by Greggs. This is a collective of local and national employers that provide training and employment opportunities for ex-offenders, including Greene King, Timpson, Marks & Spencer, Willmott Dixon and many more.New Futures Network have also partnered with the Department for Education to raise awareness by featuring an employing prison leavers item on their business webpages: Find training and employment schemes for your business (education.gov.uk).

Industrial Disputes: Dispute Resolution

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toensure a fair and accessible system for resolving employment disputes which is not restricted by financial burdens.

Lord Bellamy: The Government is committed to ensuring an effective, efficient, and affordable justice system for all. We have taken various steps to increase capacity in the Employment Tribunals, such as the recruitment of an additional 19 salaried ET judges and 150 fee-paid ET judges in 2022/23. Additionally, the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 will transfer Employment Tribunal rule-making powers to the Tribunal Procedures Committee. This will allow the judiciary to manage their workloads more flexibly, maximising the capacity of the Employment Tribunal.The Government is also investing in the development of new digital processes. The Employment Tribunal Reform project will provide a simple, fair and accessible service with simplified channels for engaging with the service, a focus on early resolution of cases, transparency for all the parties as the case progresses, and a reduction in the time taken to resolve employment disputes.In addition, the Government supports the resolution of employment disputes via early conciliation, where possible. The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides free and impartial advice to assist parties in resolving their employment disputes. Acas received £56m in 2022/23 from the Department of Business and Trade (DBT), with c.£24m directed towards individual dispute resolution activity.The Government is currently consulting on introducing modest fees in the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal. The Ministry of Justice recognises that the ET fees established in 2013 and quashed in 2017 by the Supreme Court were too high, and has carefully considered the lessons of the Unison Supreme Court judgment when developing this proposal.The proposal of introducing modest fees seeks to ensure user-contribution towards the tribunals, which are currently fully funded from direct taxation, while ensuring that the principles of affordability, proportionality and simplicity underpinning the proposed fees continue to preserve access to justice for all.Those who cannot afford to pay the proposed fees will be supported by our fee remission scheme, Help with Fees (HwF). In 2022/23, the scheme provided £80m in financial support to those on low incomes and with little to no savings. The scheme was recently reformed in November 2023 to provide for a much more generous scheme. In exceptional circumstances, the Lord Chancellor can exercise his power to remit a fee, which further ensures that access to justice is protected.

Prisoners: Death

Lord Woodley: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto the Written Answer byLord Bellamy on 30 January (HL1617), how many prisoners serving an imprisonment for public protection sentence (1) took their own life, or (2) died from other causes, in 2023 while on non-medical release on temporary license.

Lord Bellamy: In 2023, no prisoners serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence took their own life or died from other causes while on non-medical release on temporary license.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ethiopia: Famine

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the joint report by the UN World Food Programme and Famine Early Warning Systems NetworkEthiopia - Food Security Outlook 2023-24: Food assistance needs remain high amid slow recovery of livelihoods in 2024, published in October 2023, which found that "Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes are expected in northern, southern, and southeastern Ethiopia through at least early 2024", and (2) the risk of famine in Tigray.

Lord Benyon: Across northern Ethiopia, millions of people are facing hunger. War and climate change have crippled crop production and driven people off their lands. The conflict in Tigray has left more than 1 million people displaced. The combination of conflict and failed harvests in northern Ethiopia have plunged over 3 million into a state of critical food security and hunger. Millions more people are in need, with women and young children in particular, severely affected. During his recent visit, Minister Mitchell announced £100 million of new aid for over three million vulnerable people in Ethiopia as humanitarian crisis deepens.

Tanzania: Indigenous Peoples

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of forced evictions by the government of Tanzania of indigenous peoples living in Ngorongoro Conservation Area and in the vicinity of Ruaha National Park.

Lord Benyon: The British High Commission continues to meet with the Government of Tanzania, Maasai community leaders and non-government organisation (NGO) representatives to better understand the challenges faced by all parties and to support an open and constructive dialogue. Those discussions have made clear the complexities of meeting the needs of growing numbers of pastoralists and livestock in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner. An investigation conducted by the World Bank into events in Ruaha is ongoing. We continue to monitor the situation closely and support engagement by the parties involved, including to address any humanitarian issues.

Children's Rights: International Cooperation

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps take they are taking with international partners to promote the rights of children of incarcerated parents around the world in accordance witharticle 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Lord Benyon: The FCDO is committed to the promotion, protection and realisation of children's rights and to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We regularly advocate for and uphold the UNCRC in international fora, most recently at the 53rd Session of the HRC where the UK co-sponsored a resolution on preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls in criminal justice detention.Children are also a central part of FCDO's work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, through investing in children and ensuring access to quality education and health care, and through protecting them from violence and advocating for a child rights approach to tackle all forms of child labour. We work closely with UNICEF, other multilateral organisations and partners across the development system to further children's rights.

Treasury

Individual Savings Accounts

Lord Cromwell: To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance HMRC provides concerning whether fractional shares may be held in individual savings accounts; and whether they have made any assessment of anydiscrepancy between (1) such guidance, and (2) the contents of the Autumn Statement, guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority, and the consensus of the investment community.

Lord Cromwell: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to clarify before April 2024 whether fractional shares may be included in individuals savings accounts.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: At Autumn Statement 2023, the Government announced its intention to permit certain fractional shares contracts to be eligible ISA investments. This requires a change to the ISA Regulations and ISA manager’s guidance to define those eligible investments for ISA purposes. Government has considered the Financial Conduct Authority’s initial position towards fractional shares, the position of the small number of firms offering them, and the view of the wider market. Further information will be available in due course.

Child Trust Fund

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government whatis the total number of unique search requests for child trust funds which have been entered to date by young people aged 16 to 21 into the Government Gateway and which have resulted in successful linkage to their accounts.

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to inform young adults with unclaimed child trust funds, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, how to access their accounts.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: For the tax years 2020-2021 to 2022-2023 HMRC replied, in total, to over 157,000 requests to trace Child Trust Fund (CTF) accounts. HMRC does not hold data on how many of those who made the request successfully linked to their CTF accounts. Some may be below 18 and seeking to trace their account in anticipation of account maturity. Others may have traced the account but decided not to access it at that point, withdrawn their CTF savings or may have transferred the savings to an ISA or other type of current or savings account. (HL2166) Primary responsibility for communicating with account holders and their registered contact (usually a parent) lies with the CTF account providers. The government is committed to helping people identify and access the savings they are entitled to and continues to explore new routes to reunite young people with their matured CTFs. HMRC actively engages with the industry, other government departments, organisations such as the Money and Pensions Service, and youth focused charities to raise awareness of CTFs amongst young people. HMRC also issues a range of communications and provides resources for key intermediaries such as the University and Colleges Admissions Service, who have greater influence and visibility amongst the CTF audience. The government’s current plans will reunite most accounts with their owners, but there may be some cases where further action will be required. The government will monitor how many matured accounts remain open and judge when it is appropriate to intervene in other ways.

Mortgages: Interest Rates

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the recent decrease in mortgage rates on home ownership.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The path to lower interest rates is through low inflation, and the Government is fully committed to supporting the Bank of England get inflation back down to the 2% target, including by keeping borrowing under control. While the pricing and availability of mortgages is ultimately a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene, our plan is working, and the average offered mortgage rates on 2-year and 5-year fixed rates have now fallen from their peak in Summer 2023. Importantly, the Government remains committed to making the aspiration of homeownership a reality for as many households as possible, and we operate a range of schemes that aim to increase the supply of low-deposit mortgages for credit-worthy households and stimulate economic growth. The Government also helps first-time buyers to save for a deposit through the Lifetime ISA and Help to Buy: ISA. Over 873,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010 through government-backed schemes.

Cryptocurrencies: Retail Trade

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given toapproving retail access to cryptocurrency exchange traded products.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The question of approving exchange traded products (ETPs) that reference specific cryptoassets is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the independent regulator, working within its statutory objectives. The FCA currently considers these products to be ill-suited for retail consumers due to risk of harm arising from the nature of the underlying assets and markets. The FCA’s prohibition of crypto-referenced ETPs is subject to on-going review.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of a 10 per cent increase in UK taxpayers missing the self-assessment filing deadline, what steps they are taking to identify the factors that may have contributed to this increase.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The number and proportion of people who haven’t filed on time this year is similar to last year. This year, 11.5m customers filed their returns by close on 31st January compared to 11.4 million last year.1.1 million customers did not file their return by the filing date and we are currently evaluating why this might be the case, although the number is similar to last year. We will be working to improve our understanding of customers who did not file on time before considering if there are opportunities to influence that group in future campaigns.

Taxis: Taxation

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the impact of the proposed ‘taxi tax’ on rural communities accessing essential services, particularly healthcare.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The VAT treatment of private hire vehicle services has not changed. The Government recognises, however, that the Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC High Court ruling may have VAT implications for the private hire vehicle sector. As announced at Autumn Statement 2023, the Government will consult on the potential impacts of this ruling, and will publish a consultation in due course.

EU Law: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the continuing operation ofEU excise and VAT law concerning goods in Northern Ireland.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The arrangements in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework guarantee Northern Ireland’s position within the UK’s VAT and excise area, while still maintaining frictionless arrangements for those businesses trading with the EU - granting Northern Ireland businesses the ability to benefit from new UK changes and ensuring that Northern Ireland households can benefit from the UK’s Brexit freedoms.The freedoms secured under the Windsor Framework have already delivered benefits for NI people and businesses, including: the application of zero rates on the installation of energy-saving materials; the rollout of new alcohol duty reforms across the whole UK; and the UK-wide application of the changes agreed at Autumn Statement, such as the removal of VAT on period underwear.

Hospitality Industry: Government Assistance

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to assist the hospitality industry in the UK, following both the coronavirus pandemic and cost of living crisis; and what consideration they have given to reducing VAT to 10 per cent for the hospitality industry.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Since the start of the pandemic, over £37 billion has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks.The Government announced a package of business rates support at Autumn Statement 2022 which means businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, including pubs, will receive a tax cut worth over £2 billion in 2023-24. The UK also has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU Member State and the second highest in the OECD, which keeps most businesses out of the VAT system altogether.VAT is the UK's third largest tax forecast to raise £161 billion in 2023/24, helping to fund key spending priorities such as important public services, including the NHS, education and defence. The previous VAT relief for tourism and hospitality cost over £8 billion and reintroducing it would come at a significant further cost.

Import Controls: EU Countries

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking ahead of the introduction of safety and security declaration requirements for EU imports on 31 October; and what assessment they have made of the impact of those import controls on channel ports.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Border Target Operating Model sets out the new approach to Safety and Security controls, applying to all imports. We are introducing the Model in a phased approach with plenty of time for industry to prepare. The dataset has been reduced to its most critical elements, ensuring the burden on trade is reduced whilst maintaining security outcomes.The Government is engaging with industry to support readiness for the changes.Enhancing our intelligence on imported goods will help Border Force to keep citizens safe from the most harmful goods brought into the country. It will also minimise disruption at the border, including at channel ports, by intercepting the highest harm goods before they enter the country, and supporting a more intelligence informed approach to risking and intervention, as well as facilitating the flow of legitimate trade by reducing the number of ‘false positive’ hits.

Consumers

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research by GfK published on 26 January that UK consumer confidence in January rose to its highest level in two years; and what steps they are taking to sustain and build upon those findings.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In January 2024, consumer confidence, as measured by GfK, reached its highest level since January 2022. January 2024 was the third consecutive month of improving consumer confidence across all five contributory sub-indices.Consumer confidence is intrinsically linked to household finances and the broader economic outlook. To sustain consumer confidence, consumers need to feel assured that their government is taking the long-term decisions necessary to strengthen the economy and build a brighter future.In January 2023, the Prime Minister set out three economic priorities: to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt. The government is delivering on these objectives, with inflation more than halving to 4.0%, the economy proving resilient and on a path to long-term growth, and the latest OBR forecast showing debt falling as a share of GDP over the medium-term.

Financial Services: Technology

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of public markets on the (1) valuing, and (2) supporting, of fintech.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The government is committed to ensuring the UK is one of the best places in the world to start and scale a fintech.In 2023, UK fintech attracted $5.1 billion in capital funding, second only to the US and more than the next 28 European countries combined.The UK’s vibrant and dynamic capital markets remain some of the strongest and deepest globally, delivering capital to support high growth and innovative businesses.The government is taking forward an ambitious programme of reforms to boost UK competitiveness, including taking forward the recommendations from the Investment Research Review, delivering on the recommendations of Lord Hill and the Chancellor’s Mansion House and Edinburgh Reforms. These will provide greater flexibility for firms raising capital on UK markets.The government and regulators have also taken forward the key recommendations of the 2021 Kalifa Review of UK Fintech. This includes the creation of a new Centre for Finance, Innovation, and Technology (CFIT) last year to tackle barriers to growth and accelerate the UK fintech sector, backed by £5 million of HM Treasury seed funding.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Finance

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government when they expectto achieve their stated ambition to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product; and what investment they are making in new areas of defence technology.

The Earl of Minto: The Government has set its aspiration for defence spending to reach 2.5% of GDP as soon as fiscal and economic circumstances allow. Over the current Spending Review period we will be investing at least £6.6 billion in Research and Development, working closely with UK industry and academia to ensure we are developing the technologies and capabilities Defence needs now and in the future.

Libya: Military Bases

Lord Sarfraz: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reportsthat Russia is planning to open a navalbase in Tobruk in Libya.

The Earl of Minto: The UK has made clear our apprehension towards Russia's destabilising activity in North Africa. We are concerned about open-source reports that Russia has plans to establish a naval base in eastern Libya, which will strengthen Russian influence in the central Mediterranean. The Ministry of Defence continues to maintain thorough assessments of the threats to stability and security across the North Africa region including Libya. The Government is also committed to working with the international community in support for peace and stability in the region.

Cabinet Office

Inquiries and Prosecutions

Lord Dobbs: To ask His Majesty's Government what length of time passed between the original incident or complaint, and the end of the final public inquiry or related prosecutions, inrelation to (1) theHillsborough stadium disaster, (2) the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal, (3) theMull of Kintyre Chinook crash, (4)Operation Conifer, and (5) theIraq Inquiry.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Hillsborough stadium disaster occurred on 15 April 1989. Lord Justice Taylor published an interim report into the disaster in August 1989, and delivered his final report in January 1990. The Hillsborough Independent panel was instituted in 2009, and published its final report on 12 September 2012. The independent inquiry into child exploitation was commissioned by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in October 2013. It covered the period between 1997 and 2013, and published its report in August 2014. The Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash happened on 2 June 1994. The final inquiry into the crash published its findings in July 2011. Operation Conifer, the police investigation into allegations made against the late Sir Edward Heath, began in August 2015, and published its findings in October 2017. The Iraq Inquiry was announced in June 2009 to identify lessons that could be learned from the Iraq conflict. It considered the period between 2000 and July 2009, and published its report in July 2016.

Citizenship: Young People

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of Sweden's decision to reinstate civic duty for 18-year-olds, including training in emergency services and the maintenance of vital infrastructure, and of thesimilar model in Norway; and what consideration they have given, if any, to introducing a comparable model in the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Resilience is a top priority for this government. Ministers and officials regularly engage with International partners to learn from and share good practice in relation to resilience. There are no current plans to replicate Sweden’s model of civic duty. The UK already has many reservist programmes: these include programmes for the armed forces, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Mountain Rescue, Retained Firefighters, Coastguard volunteers, NHS volunteers and special constables. The Government has set out its ambition for a whole of society approach to resilience in the Resilience Framework. The Deputy Prime Minister’s first annual statement to Parliament on resilience offered more detail on plans to build on the community spirit in our country and the willingness of individuals to volunteer in a crisis by developing an index of volunteering opportunities. To support the broader training offer the Government has committed to the development of a UK Resilience Academy that will provide a full suite of learning and training opportunities for the whole of society.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Government Assistance

Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to ring-fence funding for housing related support to match 2010 levels of £1.6 billion a year allocated to local authorities for that purpose.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Funding to local authorities for housing related support is through the Local Government Finance Settlement. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 makes available up to £64.7 billion, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in cash terms on 2023-24.Having listened to the views of local government, on 24 January the Government announced additional measures for local authorities in England worth £600 million. This includes £500 million of new funding for councils with responsibility for adult and children’s social care, distributed through the Social Care Grant.

Department for Transport

Train Operating Companies: Standards

Lord Bradshaw: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Davies of Gower on 30January (HL1680), how the current quality of service provided by train operating companies can be assessed when service quality regime scores for April-October 2023 are only now under evaluation.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Department regularly assesses the quality of service provided by the train operators, including through independent inspections that take place across the network every Rail Period, which is typically every 28 days. The results are used to inform frequent performance discussions and are published online for passengers. Performance Fees for service quality are based on scores achieved over a longer Assessment Period. This is annual in the current National Rail Contracts and was bi-annual in previous contracts.

Pedestrian Areas: Cycling

Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to protect elderly and disabled pedestrians from cyclists illegally riding on the pavement.

Lord Davies of Gower: Cycling on the pavement is an offence, other than in designated areas such as shared use paths. The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Import Controls

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Common User Charge on UK food price inflation; and whether they intend to publish the modelling behind this.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Defra has analysed the responses to the 'Charging arrangements at Government-run border control posts' consultation and has carefully assessed the potential impacts on food imports. This will ensure we implement a charging system that will deliver best value for traders, and one which meets government’s cost recovery objectives in as transparent and fair way as possible. We expect to publish the Government Response to the consultation shortly which will confirm the final policy and rates.

Import Controls

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish their response to the consultation on the Common User Charge, which ran from 12 June 2023 to 9 July 2023; and at what level the charge will be set.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Defra has analysed the responses to the 'Charging arrangements at government-run border control posts' consultation which ran from 12 June to 9 July 2023. We have taken on board all feedback and considered all possible options and timescales to ensure we can implement a charging system that will deliver best value for traders, and one which meets Government’s cost recovery objectives in as transparent and fair way as possible. We expect to publish the Government Response to the consultation shortly which will confirm the final policy and rates.

Import Controls

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Common User Charge on (1) groupage and mixed loads entering the UK, and (2) small and medium-sized businesses.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Defra is committed to designing and delivering a charging policy which keeps costs down and minimises impact across all businesses. Through the ‘Charging arrangement at government-run border control posts’ consultation with industry in July 2023, the Government sought feedback on the impacts of the Common User Charge proposals on businesses of all sizes and operating models. It has taken on board all feedback and considered all possible options and timescales to ensure it can implement a charging system that will deliver best value for all traders, and one which meets government’s cost recovery objectives in as transparent and fair way as possible. We expect to publish the Government Response to the consultation shortly which will confirm the final policy and rates.

West Africa: Timber

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the amount of rosewood timber that is exported from West African countries such as Mali, The Gambia and Senegal; what steps they have taken to ban or control within UK markets the sale of products made from West African rosewood; and what steps they have taken toprotect endangered wild species, including rosewood in West Africa.

Lord Benyon: The UK is currently contributing funding towards a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) study on the conservation and trade in rosewood tree species but does yet not have an assessment of rosewood timber exports. We have robust mechanisms in place through the UK Timber Regulations (UKTR), which prohibit the placing of illegally harvested timber and timber products on the GB market and require operators - those first placing timber products on the market - to exercise due diligence. Those who trade in timber and timber products after they have been placed on the market are required to keep records of who they buy timber products from and any traders they sell them to. This enables timber and timber products to be traced. The primary objective of the UKTR is to tackle illegal logging and to create a demand for legally harvested timber. Implementing the Regulations enables the protection of forests around the world, supporting the Government’s ambition to lead the world in environmental protection, end extreme poverty, and be at the forefront of action against global climate change. The requirement to exercise due diligence under UKTR does not apply where a valid CITES permit accompanies the timber. Rosewood species (Dalbergia and Guibourtia spp.) are listed on the CITES Appendices and so most rosewood timber imports into the UK will need a valid permit. Permit applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis by the UK CITES Management Authority, which will only issue permits if it has been possible to determine that the specimens to be imported were legally acquired and sustainably harvested. The Government provides grants to a wide range of stakeholders to contribute to the protection of endangered wild species, including tackling illegal wildlife trade in West Africa, through the Biodiversity Challenge Funds. While these do not address rosewood in West Africa specifically, this has included empowering communities to protect their forests by the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia, and supporting Royal Botanic Gardens Kew to monitor and halt illegal timber trade through DNA barcoding in Gabon and Congo (Brazzaville). Further information on these examples and other projects supported by the Biodiversity Challenge Funds can be found at the websites of the Darwin Initiative and the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.

Home Office

Immigration Controls: France

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of a correlation between the 2023 migration deal with France and a doubling in the number of migrants who have drowned crossing the English Channel; and whatplans they have to review the deal in this regard.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The UK’s cooperation with France to prevent small boat crossings of the English Channel led to a reduction in crossing numbers of 36% last year when compared to 2022. It is vital that we continue to work with French partners to put an end to the evil criminal gangs who are profiting from encouraging migrants to make increasingly dangerous crossing attempts in unseaworthy vessels. UK and French officials work together to continuously monitor the impact of the three-year deal agreed by the Prime Minister and President Macron in March 2023.Ensuring the safety of lives at sea is paramount to our operations, in line with international obligations.

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to accommodatethe planned maximum population of 1,700 asylum seekers atMDP Wethersfield, and if so,when.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office is using a phased approach; increasing the number of asylum seekers accommodated at the site over time, with the practicalities of managing the site under constant review. The site can accommodate 1,700 individuals when fully operational.

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the schedule for, and availability of, transport provided to residents of MDP Wethersfield to leave the site.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Those living at the site are able to come and go. The process for leaving the site is the same as the rest of our asylum accommodation.To minimise the impact on the local services, and to ensure the orderly flow of people onto and off the site, a regular transport service is in place to take asylum seekers to larger local towns to access amenities and planned voluntary and community activities off-site.This has been developed following consultation with key stakeholders in the Multi Agency Forum (MAF).If off-site services are needed, transport services will be available by the Home Office’s provider.

Homicide and Rape: Criminal Proceedings

Lord Dobbs: To ask His Majesty's Government, ineach of the past five years,what was the average length of time in England and Wales for the police and Crown Prosecution Service to investigate allegations of (1) murder, and (2) rape, before a decision was made on whether to proceed with prosecution.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office collects information on the time taken by the police in England and Wales to reach an investigative outcome for notifiable offences.Below is a table showing the median number of days taken to assign a charge/summons outcome, from date recorded by the police, for rape and homicide offences, for each year from 2018/19 to year ending September 2023:Financial Year2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/23 YE Sept 2023Homicide1,2,34021253029 23Rape offences1381395465467421 426 Notes:1. Only includes data for forces who send offence-level data to the Home Office Data Hub2. The number of median days for Year ending September 2022 and Year ending September 2023 includes 37 territorial police forces. Excludes Devon and Cornwall, Humberside, West Midlands and Greater Manchester Police. The data for these forces was identified to have quality issues or the data was not provided at record level to the Home Office Data Hub in for the reporting period.3. 2018/19 excludes the 97 homicides which were assigned a charge/summons outcome in relation to the Hillsborough disaster by South Yorkshire Police Force. When these are included, the median number of days taken to assign a charge for homicide was 115 days in 2018/19.4. Data are shown to the nearest whole day.

Department of Health and Social Care

Ophthalmology: Prescriptions

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what plansthey have to allow specialist orthoptists independent prescribing responsibilities, thereby obviatingglaucoma patients'requirement for a duplicate appointment with an ophthalmologist for eye drop prescriptions, and avoiding unnecessary delay in treatment for these patients and others.

Lord Markham: Prescribing is a high-risk activity, and it is widely agreed that it should only be carried out in a regulatory context. There is a process in place for making changes to prescribing responsibilities, to ensure those changes are safe and beneficial for patients. NHS England leads on developing clinical cases for change, in collaboration with the professional bodies, and the Commission on Human Medicines reviews proposals and provides advice. If proposals are progressed, changes must be made to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, using the powers in the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021, and this requires a public consultation and regulations to be laid and debated in both Houses of Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.Regulated orthoptists are currently able to supply and administer certain medicines via exemptions or patient group directions. There are no plans to extend this to independent prescribing at this time.

Doctors: Strikes

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that doctors who are on strike do not take up locum shifts during strike days at another hospital.

Lord Markham: Following the High Court ruling last year it is now unlawful for employment businesses to supply workers, including doctors, to carry out the duties of striking workers. It is not unlawful however for a doctor to take up a locum shift, and current blacklisting legislation does not allow only striking doctors to be targeted and prevented from taking up local shifts.

Cervical Cancer

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what work they are undertaking with the devolved administrations to extend the commitment to eliminate cervical cancers in all parts of the UK.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what implementation plans they are creating following NHS England's pledge to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

Lord Markham: NHS England has developed an implementation plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 and will work collaboratively with key partners including National Health Service regions, charities and third sector stakeholders, as well as learning from the approaches being taken across the devolved nations.NHS England’s plan covers activity for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical screening pathways. To support increased access and uptake of the HPV vaccination to school aged children, NHS England continues to work with all key stakeholders at regional level to strengthen local initiatives and encourage innovative models to approach the robust delivery of school aged vaccinations.An in-service evaluation is being commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Research to determine whether HPV self-sampling could be used to improve the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. Screening activity includes a review of the screening information materials, development of IT systems to give insights into behaviours, and a review of the colposcopy services.Further work is planned to include a general practice opt-in option for trans men and non-binary people, pilot text reminders for all eligible patients, expanding access to a range of locations, and targeted upskilling of workforce.Health is a devolved matter in Scotland and Wales and a transferred matter in Northern Ireland. While Department officials work closely with their counterparts in the devolved administrations, any decision on commitments on cervical cancer in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the respective governments in each country.

Health Services: Migrants

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been raised from the Immigration Health Surcharge has been received by (1) the NHS, and (2) by non-NHS bodies, in each year since 2015.

Lord Markham: Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) income data is published annually in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts. The income generated by the Home Office is distributed to the devolved health administrations for the purposes of health spending, under the Barnett Formula.Please note that the IHS figure is made up of both Retained Income and Consolidated Funds. The IHS amounts for the financial years from 2015 to 2022 inclusive are as follows:- £169,112,000 in 2015/16;- £210,250,000 in 2016/17;- £240,483,000 in 2017/18;- £297,927,000 in 2018/19;- £597,677,000 in 2019/20;- £480,822,000 in 2020/21;- £1,423,284,000 in 2021/22; and- £1,706,112,000 in 2022/23.

Fractures: Health Services

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government why fracture liaison services were not included in the ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ published in February 2022; how much of the £8 billion committed to support elective recovery under that plan has been allocated to fracture liaison services; and, if none, what were the reasons for that.

Lord Markham: The allocation of funding from the Elective Recovery Fund (ERF) would be a local decision for providers applying the guidance, so we are unable to provide a national picture of spending specifically on fracture liaison services (FLS). FLS’ may be included in, and have benefited from, the ERF if those community providers submit to the Secondary Uses Service outpatient activity, and if the activity falls under an ERF treatment function.

Osteoporosis: Screening

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthey are considering using the new screening technology, developed by OsteoSight, for estimating bone mineral density from routine X-rays that has been approved by theFood and Drug Administration in the United States to give earlier diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Lord Markham: OsteoSight is not a registered product with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, therefore the Government is not currently considering the use of this technology. However, we will continue to explore areas where artificial intelligence can be deployed in health and care to support clinicians, transform patient experience and improve outcomes.

Food: Sugar

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of why theirtarget for sugar reduction in food and drink has not been met.

Lord Markham: Assessments have been made of why the overall 20% reduction ambition for the voluntary sugar reduction programme has not been delivered. The progress monitoring for retailers and manufacturers for the sugar reduction programme, which is what is being referred to, uses sales weighted averages. These are calculated by weighting mean sugar levels by total volume sales. This gives more weight to products with higher volume sales.Between 2015 and 2020, good levels of reduction were seen in sales weighted average sugar levels in some categories included in the programme for retailers and manufacturers, including reductions of approximately 15% in breakfast cereals, 13.5% in yogurt and fromage frais, and 7.2% in ice creams, lollies and sorbets.However, increases were seen in the volume sales of higher sugar products included in the programme, for retailers and manufacturers between 2015 and 2020, including a 32% increase in sweet spreads and sauces and a 27.8% increase in chocolate confectionery. When calculating the overall, sales weighted average sugar reduction figure of 3.5%, these increase in sales negate the reductions made in breakfast cereals and other categories included in the programme.It is also more difficult for some products included in the programme to reduce sugar levels. Some of these categories have instead taken action to reduce calorie levels, with sales weighted average calorie levels for retailers and manufacturers reducing by 7.1% in ice creams, lollies and sorbets, 4.3% in cakes and 3.2% in chocolate confectionery. These are not included in the overall assessment of sugar reduction achieved to date of 3.5%.Due to limitations with the data, it is not possible to produce sales weighted average figures for the eating out of home sector, so changes made to products sold in these businesses are not covered in the data above.The Major Conditions Strategy: case for change and strategic framework, included a commitment to continue to work with stakeholders and industry to reduce levels of sugar, calories and salt, including in baby food and drink.

Obesity: Screening

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government whatrecent assessment they have made of the accuracy of BMI thresholds for (1) adults, and (2) children.

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to commission further research into the accuracy of BMI thresholds for (1) adults, and (2) children.

Lord Markham: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that Body Mass Index (BMI) for adults and BMI centile, adjusted for age and sex, for children and young people should be used as a practical measure for estimating and defining adiposity, the measure of fatty tissue. In September 2022, NICE reviewed evidence on the most accurate methods and thresholds for assessing the risk associated with overweight and obesity in adults, children and young people, which included BMI.The Government accepts NICE’s evidence review and recommendations on BMI, including that: BMI is used as a practical measure of overweight and obesity in both adults and children and young people but needs to be interpreted with caution because it is not a direct measure of central adiposity, the accumulation of excess fat in the abdominal area which directly relates to health risks such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease; in adults with a BMI below 35 kilograms per metre squared, waist-to-height ratio should be measured and used as well as BMI, as a practical estimate of central adiposity; in children or young people with a BMI on or above the 91st centile, waist to height ratio should be measured to estimate the degree of central adiposity to help identify or predict future health risks; and a child’s BMI centile should always be plotted on the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health UK-World Health Organization growth charts and BMI charts.NICE also recommended further research, for adults as well as children and young people, on the most accurate and suitable measurements and boundary values to assess the health risks associated with overweight, obesity and central adiposity in people of different ethnicities, particularly those from black, Asian and minority ethnic family backgrounds.   The Department have noted NICE’s recommendations for research. The Department delivers research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which funds and supports research across all areas of health and social care, including obesity. Research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available, with awards made on the basis of scientific quality, value for money, and importance of the topic to patients and the health and care system.

Brain: Tumours

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey have taken to improve access to new drugs for brain tumour patients.

Lord Markham: The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR invests in the research delivery workforce, the facilities, and the capacity to support clinical trials into all disease areas, including brain tumours. The NIHR Clinical Research Facilities and Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres support the delivery of early phase trials, and the NIHR Clinical Research Network and Patient Recruitment Centres support delivery and participation in later phase clinical trials.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations on whether all new medicines, including for brain tumours, should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. NICE is able to recommend medicines for use through the Cancer Drugs Fund, where there is too much uncertainty for NICE to recommend routine use. NICE works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to ensure that its appraisal timelines are aligned with the regulatory process. NICE is currently evaluating a number of potential new medicines for brain tumours.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Hinkley Point C Power Station: France

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, followingreports that the government of France are seeking a loan guarantee from Hinkley Point C, what steps they are taking to provide details on (1) the terms and conditions of this loan, and (2) its potential impact on UK taxpayers.

Lord Callanan: Hinkley Point C is not a Government project. The financing of Hinkley Point C is a matter for EDF and its shareholders.

Department for Work and Pensions

Household Support Fund

Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for a funded strategy for local crisis support in England to ensure that councils can respond effectively to the needs of low-income households.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Councils continue to have the flexibility to use funding from the Local Government Finance Settlement to provide local welfare assistance. Over £2bn in support has to date been allocated to Local Authorities in England via the Household Support Fund to support those most in need. The Government is putting significant additional support in place for those on the lowest incomes from April. Subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by 6.7% while the Basic and New State Pensions will be uprated by 8.5% in line with earnings, as part of the ‘triple lock”. To further support low-income households with increasing rent costs, the government will raise Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefitting 1.6m low-income households by on average £800 a year in 24/25. Additionally, the Government will increase the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.

Department for Business and Trade

Horizon IT System: WH Smith

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government how many postmasters or other staff members working at Post Office branches located within WH Smith have been prosecuted for alleged shortfalls arising from issues with the Horizon IT system; and how many of these prosecutions were reviewed while Henry Staunton was chairman of the Post Office.

Lord Offord of Garvel: We do not have the data related to WH Smith. In terms of reviewing prosecutions, after the landmark Court of Appeal judgment in April 2021, Post Office commissioned criminal lawyers to review all convictions which it had prosecuted which may have relied on Horizon data. Where Post Office has sufficient evidence that the conviction relied on Horizon data, it will contact that individual to let them know it would concede their appeal on the basis of evidence it holds, further to contact it has already made to convicted individuals. Furthermore, the Government is proceeding at pace with its commitments to legislate for the overturning of Post Office related convictions as per the Prime Minister's announcement of January 10th.

Companies: Regulation

Lord Cruddas: To ask His Majesty's Government what are theterms and scope of the Review of Non-Financial Reporting;who is undertaking that review; and when it will be available for scrutiny by members of the House of Lords.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Government published the “Smarter regulation non-financial reporting review: call for evidence” in May 2023, seeing views on the non-financial disclosure requirements under the Companies Act, particularly the Strategic and Directors’ Reports. A list of requirements in scope of the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/smarter-regulation-non-financial-reporting-review-call-for-evidence/annex-individual-reporting-requirements. The review is being undertaken by the Department for Business and Trade with assistance from the Financial Reporting Council. The findings of the review will be published, and any resulting legislative changes will be laid before Parliament for scrutiny in due course.

Henry Staunton

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government what risk assessment was made regardingthe appointment of Henry Staunton as chairman of the Post Office on 2 September 2022; and what plans they have to publish that assessment.

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government what conflict of interest risk assessment was made regarding the appointment ofSimon Jeffreysas a board member of the Crown Prosecution Service and a non-executive director of the Post Office.

Lord Offord of Garvel: When appointments are made, conflicts are routinely addressed as part of the appointments process. The Companies Act sets out that a director must avoid situations where they have conflicts which conflict with the interests of the company and they must disclose conflicts of interest. As per the Companies Act requirements, any conflicts are disclosed in the company's Annual Report and Accounts, as is the mechanism for managing any conflict.

Post Office: Public Appointments

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government how many director nominations or appointments they have made or approved to the board of the Post Office in each of the years since 2000.

Lord Offord of Garvel: Nominations to the Board of Post Office Limited are generally made by Post Office Limited’s Nominations Committee (‘NomCo’, a sub-Committee of the Post Office Board) with the resulting appointments confirmed by the Board, on the advice of the NomCo. The Shareholder Representative Non-Executive Director sits on NomCo, and the Shareholder (the Department for Business and Trade) approves the appointment. The exceptions to these processes are the appointment of the Shareholder Non-Executive Director and the appointment of the Chair, which are made by the Shareholder. A historic record of appointments, as set out on Companies House, is provided below. NamePositionOccupationAppointment dateResignation dateMs Maria Luisa CassoniDirectorDirector01/02/200117/06/2002Mr Peter Michael CorbettDirectorDirector13/11/200101/07/2009Mr John Basil LarkinsDirectorDirector13/11/200125/04/2002Mr David William MillerDirectorDirector13/11/200131/07/2006Mr Paul Andrew RichDirectorDirector13/11/200115/04/2002Mr Allan Leslie LeightonDirectorDirector08/01/200225/03/2009Mr David MillsDirectorDirector15/04/200231/12/2005Mr Alan John Munro BarrieDirectorDirector03/09/200208/06/2004Mr John Charles MainDirectorDirector03/09/200201/07/2003Mr Gordon Ramsay SteeleDirectorDirector03/09/200231/01/2006Elmar ToimeDirectorDirector10/04/200316/11/2004Mr Michael HodgkinsonDirectorDirector01/05/200331/08/2007Mr John Barnetson AndersonDirectorDirector01/07/200314/04/2007Mr Stephen Graham HallidayDirectorDirector20/08/200331/07/2006Mr Brian Joseph GogginDirectorDirector01/09/200421/07/2006Mr Alan Ronald CookDirectorDirector22/02/200515/03/2010Mr Richard Phillip FrancisDirectorDirector02/03/200502/05/2008Ms Sue Rachel WhalleyDirectorDirector01/09/200605/11/2009Mr David Ian GlynnDirectorDirector26/10/200631/10/2009Mr Gary Hockey MorleyDirectorDirector26/10/200631/10/2009Ms Deborah Lois MooreDirectorDirector12/06/200731/10/2009Mr Michael Thomas YoungDirectorDirector01/08/200831/10/2009Mr Donald Hood BrydonDirectorDirector01/05/200922/09/2011Mr Michael John MooresDirectorDirector01/07/200910/06/2011Mr David John SmithDirectorDirector06/04/201013/06/2011Moya Marguerite GreeneDirectorDirector18/10/201017/12/2010Mr Arthur Leslie OwenDirectorDirector18/10/201015/03/2012Ms Paula Anne VennellsDirectorDirector18/10/201030/04/2019Mr Matthew LesterDirectorDirector17/12/201001/11/2011Ms Alice Elizabeth PerkinsDirectorDirector21/07/201131/07/2015Mr Christopher Mark DayDirectorDirector22/09/201128/01/2015Mr Neil McCauslandDirectorDirector22/09/201130/09/2015Ms Virginia Anne HolmesDirectorDirector04/04/201227/03/2018Ms Susannah Jemima StoreyDirectorCivil Servant18/04/201226/03/2014Mr Alasdair MarnochDirectorDirector23/05/201231/07/2015Mr Timothy FranklinDirectorDirector19/09/201231/12/2019Mr Richard John CallardDirectorDirector26/03/201427/03/2018Mr Alisdair Charles John CameronDirectorChief Financial Officer28/01/2015NAMr Timothy Charles ParkerDirectorChairman01/10/201530/09/2022Mr Kenneth Stanely McCallDirectorDirector21/01/201626/01/2022Ms Carla Rosaline StentDirectorDirector21/01/201617/02/2023Mr Thomas Knut Glenn CooperDirectorNon Executive Director27/03/201811/05/2023Ms Shirine Khoury-HaqDirectorDirector24/05/201818/07/2019Mr Nicholas James ReadDirectorChief Executive Officer16/09/2019NAZarin Homi PatelDirectorNon Executive Director26/11/201913/03/2023Ms Lisa HarringtonDirectorDirector08/04/202001/06/2023Mr Sarfaraz Gulam IsmailDirectorDirector03/06/2021NAMr Elliot Marc JacobsDirectorDirector03/06/2021NAMr Brian GauntDirectorDirector25/01/2022NAMr Henry Eric StauntonDirectorChairman01/12/202227/01/2024Mr Simon JeffreysDirectorNon Executive Director23/03/2023NAMs Amanda Jane BurtonDirectorDirector27/04/2023NAMs Lorna Rachel GrattonDirectorDirector12/05/2023NAMr Andrew Atta DarfoorDirectorDirector20/06/2023NA

UK Trade with EU: Costs

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that businesses have faced increasing difficulties and costs trading with the EU since Brexit, what steps they are taking to (1) identify areas of improvement, and (2) provide support.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement allows for a new relationship with the EU, giving us the freedom to do things differently and better. The Department is leading a cross-government effort to identify trade barriers and break them down with our EU partners. For example, in the year to March 2023, we broke down 45 market access barriers in the HMTC Europe region, a 10% increase year-on-year. HMG provides a wide range of support, including help to grow overseas by providing information, training, and expert support to exporters, whilst HMRC’s Customs & International Trade Helpline ensures businesses have access to the additional support they need.

Cheese: Canada

Lord Wigley: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the volume and value of cheese exports to Canada in each of the last five years, and what assessment they have made of the likely impact on those figures of not concluding a trade agreement with Canada.

Lord Offord of Garvel: Between 2018 and 2022 the UK exported between 1.5 and 2.2 kilotonnes of cheese to Canada each year, worth between £11 million and £18.7 million. Prior to 1 January 2024, UK exporters could export cheese to Canada through a Canadian importer with a licence for Canada’s “EU” World Trade Organisation quota. As of 1 January 2024, the Canadian importer must have a licence for Canada’s “non EU” World Trade Organisation quota to import UK cheese.

Horizon IT System

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthe Post Office Horizon software system that was updated in 2017 has any issues with discrepancies of cash shortfalls in individual Post Offices; and if so, in how many Post Offices such problems have occurred.

Lord Offord of Garvel: There have been several versions of Horizon since its introduction in 1999 and the current version of the system, introduced from 2017, was found in the Group Litigation to be robust, relative to comparable systems. Post Office continue to make improvements to the system and will be moving away from Horizon to a new IT system. The Government is providing funding to support this programme.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Hain: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of inquests into deaths to the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland that will not have been completed by 1 May.

Lord Caine: The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 requires Troubles-related inquests to conclude by 1 May 2024. The legislation provides a limited carve out for any Troubles-related inquests where the hearing of all evidence has finished and where the only matter still to come is the delivery of the inquest’s findings. The Act contains provisions allowing a coroner to request a review of a death by the ICRIR, led by Sir Declan Morgan as Chief Commissioner, if the inquest has not been concluded via the coronial process by 1 May 2024. Close family members, as well as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland and the Advocate General for Northern Ireland, can also request a review of a death by the ICRIR. The case management of inquests is a matter for coroners.

Northern Ireland Protocol

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their Command PaperSafeguarding the Union, published on 31 January, what changes will be made to Articles 5–10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Lord Caine: The Command Paper ‘Safeguarding the Union’ builds on the progress under the Windsor Framework, strengthening the UK Internal Market and the Union into the long term. It remains the case that the decision as to whether Articles 5 to 10 of the Windsor Framework should continue to apply in Northern Ireland will be taken by the Northern Ireland Assembly later this year.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Hain: To ask His Majesty's Government how many inquests into deaths to the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still to be completed.

Lord Caine: At this time, 37 Troubles-related inquests have not been completed:18 cases have commenced hearing of evidence;A further two cases have been listed for hearing;Another 17 cases have not been listed for hearing.